Here is a chart of increases in state expenditures by small states in the Western United States.
One of the questions this chart raises is, whether these debt levels are being expressed in nominal or real terms. For the sake of argument, we need to assume that these are nominal amounts. Here are the rates of change in the price index for the years 1998 to 2009:
1998 1.6
1999 2.7
2000 3.4
2001 1.6
2002 2.4
2003 1.9
2004 3.3
2005 3.4
2006 2.5
2007 4.1
2008 0.1
2009 2.7
Nothing in these numbers can produce an alibi for our state government. Oregon, unlike her sisters, rapidly expanded government expenditures, even in the face of the economic stresses that face those citizens who participate in the private sector. And remember, even though we've increased taxes on the productive sector of the economy, rather than our state reducing the rate of increase in our debt, in 2009 and 2009, the rate of increase in our debt went up.
Sure, it's nice to live in a state where we can send kindergartners to school for a full day. Of course, this is just baloney, since public schools have a vision of full days equalling six hours. And all the studies I've read show little or no improvement of scores for third-graders based on kindergarten, part-time or full-time. When it comes to settled science, whatever the OEA says is what we believe. And, they spend a lot of money supporting political candidates that support them. Which is natural. It's like a crime syndicate. I scratch your back, you scratch mine.
My mentor, The Real King of France, asked the question, why? And then answers it. Democrat control versus Republican control.
It's like living in a Ray Stevens song. "Everything Is Beautiful." How can we cut money for schools? Well, easy. But it takes spine. How can we cut money for the arts? Again, easy. Spine. No matter where you turn, cutting is attacked as cruel, unfair, racist. Sexist. Helping the rich. So, since everything is beautiful--and necessary--our debt continues to mount. While our neighbors manage on less.
Wish Oregon luck. We do things different here.
6 comments:
Actually, you would do them differentLY, if you were using the word as an adverb to show how you do things down there in my "home" state.
Oregon does different things, and it does them differently.
Glad to see your blog still up and running!
If you lived here, you would know that it is a reference to a tag-line that is over-used by our state lottery.
It's a Portlandia thing.
.
Well, I never lived in Portland. I lived down in Southern Oregon, where they really do things different.
Long Live the State of Jefferson!
It takes a State to raise a child....
And it takes a state of children to raise your debt to untenable levels...
.
When you spend a lot, it's really tough when income drops.
"In the meantime, [Governor Kulongoski] is gearing up for a discussion about making what could be some of the most difficult changes in state government in decades. It's making him sorely miss the 2007 session, when the state was flush with money and the banking crisis hadn't hit.
"'When you do not have enough revenue,' Kulongoski said, 'a lot of the fun leaves.'"
Harry Esteve, The Oregonian
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/post_63.html
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